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California had four cities in the top 10: Elk Grove (second), Moreno Valley (sixth), Rancho Cucamonga (ninth) and Roseville (10th). Two cities in Arizona were in the top 10  Gilbert (fourth) and Chandler (seventh)  and, relatively nearby, North Las Vegas, Nevada, was third. Elk Grove, Miramar and Roseville each became eligible for this list for the first time, as all three cities passed the 100,000-population threshold between 2003 and 2004.

New York City continued to be the nation’s most populous city, with 8.1 million residents. This was more than twice the population of Los Angeles, which ranked second at 3.8 million. The estimates show that among the 10 largest cities, only one change has occurred in the rankings: San Jose, California, has replaced Detroit, as the nation’s 10th most populous city.

Phoenix had the largest population increase between 2003 and 2004, adding 29,826 people. Los Angeles; San Antonio; Las Vegas; and Fort Worth, Texas, rounded out the list of the five biggest numerical gainers.

The Greeley area, north of Denver (Colorado) was the fastest growing US metropolitan areas between 2000 and 2003, while Palm Coast, Florida, was the fastest growing micro area. According to data released in September 2005 by the US Census Bureau, Greeley grew by 16.8 per cent, while the population of Palm coast increased by 25 per cent.Fastest growing US citiesPercentage increase of population
between July 2003 and July 2004

Rank

Cities

2004 population

Percentage increase in since 2003

1

Port St. Lucie, FL

118,396

12.0%

2

Elk Grove, CA

100,760

10.6%

3

North Las Vegas, NV

158,748

9.8%

4

Gilbert, AZ

156,917

7.7%

5

Cape Coral, FL

127,985

7.6%

6

Moreno Valley, CA

166,290

5.7%

7

Chandler, AZ

223,991

5.7%

8

Miramar, FL

101,486

5.3%

9

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

159,346

5.0%

10

Roseville, CA

103,609

4.9%

11

Henderson, NV

224,829

4.6%

12

Fontana, CA

158,715

4.6%

13

Bakersfield, CA

283,936

4.6%

14

Joliet, IL

129,519

4.4%

15

Irvine, CA

178,317

4.2%

16

Visalia, CA

104,655

3.9%

17

Thornton, CO

102,072

3.9%

18

McAllen, TX

120,743

3.6%

19

Las Vegas, NV

534,847

3.5%

20

Chula Vista, CA

204,879

3.5%

21

Brownsville, TX

161,225

3.4%

22

Peoria, AZ

132,487

3.4%

23

LaredoTX

203,212

3.3%

24

Raleigh,NC

326,653

3.3%

25

Stockton, CA

279,888

3.1%

Fastest growing US citiesIncrease in population between July 2003 and July 2004

Rank

City

Population
in 2004

Population increase
since 2003

1

Phoenix, AZ

1,418,041

29,826

2

Los Angeles, CA

3,845,541

26,128

3

San Antonio, TX

1,236,249

22,095

4

Las Vegas, NV

534,847

17,923

5

Fort Worth, TX

603,337

17,872

6

North Las Vegas, NV

158,748

14,204

7

Port St. Lucie, FL

118,396

12,689

8

Bakersfield, CA

283,936

12,357

9

Chandler, AZ

223,991

12,039

10

Gilbert, AZ

156,917

11,231

11

Albuquerque, NM

484,246

10,916

12

Raleigh, NC

326,653

10,460

13

El Paso, TX

592,099

10,012

14

Henderson, NV

224,829

9,879

15

Elk Grove, CA

100,760

9,665

16

Sacramento, CA

454,330

9,610

17

Charlotte, NC

594,359

9,058

18

Jacksonville, FL

777,704

9,051

19

Moreno Valley, CA

166,290

9,036

20

Cape Coral, FL

127,985

9,006

21

Stockton, CA

279,888

8,473

22

Austin, TX

681,804

8,386

23

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

159,346

7,605

24

Irvine, CA

178,317

7,241

25

San Jose, CA

904,522

7,123

Largest US citiesPopulation on 1 July 2004 and in 2003

Rank

City

Population
in 2004

Population
in 2003

1

New York City , NY

8,104,079

8,109,626

2

Los Angeles, CA

3,845,541

3,819,413

3

Chicago, IL

2,862,244

2,875,585

4

Houston, TX

2,012,626

2,009,669

5

Philadelphia, PA

1,470,151

1,476,953

6

Phoenix, AZ

1,418,041

1,388,215

7

San Diego, CA

1,263,756

1,262,699

8

San Antonio, TX

1,236,249

1,214,154

9

Dallas, TX

1,210,393

1,205,084

10

San Jose, CA

904,522

897,399

11

Detroit, MI

900,198

912,472

12

Indianapolis, IN

784,242

784,462

13

Jacksonville, FL

777,704

768,653

14

San Francisco, CA

744,230

751,908

15

Columbus, OH

730,008

728,566

16

Austin, TX

681,804

673,418

17

Memphis, TN

671,929

673,120

18

Baltimore, MD

636,251

643,304

19

Fort Worth, TX

603,337

585,465

20

Charlotte, NC

594,359

585,301

21

El Paso, TX

592,099

582,087

22

Milwaukee, WI

583,624

587,205

23

Seattle, WA

571,480

570,407

24

Boston, MA

569,165

577,922

25

Denver, CO

556,835

556,039

Source: US Census Bureau 2005

Census Bureau names fastest
growing metro and micro areas
The Greeley area, north of Denver (Colorado) was the fastest growing US metropolitan areas between 2000 and 2003, while Palm Coast, Florida, was the fastest growing micro area. According to data released in September 2005 by the US Census Bureau, Greeley grew by 16.8 per cent, while the population of Palm coast increased by 25 per cent.

The Census Bureau defines a metro area as one with at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more people. A micro area has at least one urban cluster of 10,000 to 50,000 people.

The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island region, with 18.6 million people, was the most populous metro area in 2003, the report said. It was followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana (California) with 12.8 million and Chicago-Naperville-Joliet (Illinois) region with 9.3 million. With the exception of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta (Georgia) metro area, which was 11th in 2000, each of the 10 most populous metro areas in 2003 also was among the 10 most populous in 2000.

The second and third fastest-growing micro areas were Heber (Utah) which grew 15.1 per cent, and East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, which grew 11.4 per cent, the Census Bureau said.

Torrington (Connecticut) was the most populous micro area in 2003, with a population of approximately 188,000 people. It was followed by the Lake Havasu City-Kingman (Arizona) region and the Lebanon (New Hampshire  Vermont) area, the report said.

The metro population in the West grew fastest, 5.5 per cent, from 2000 to 2003, followed by the South at 5.1 per cent, the Midwest at 2.0 per cent, and the Northeast at 1.5 percent. The West also experienced the fastest growth, 3.2 per cent, in the micro population, the US Census Bureau said.

In 2003, more than half the US population lived in metro areas with populations of one million or more. Almost one-fourth of the population resided in metro areas with populations of five million or more, the Census Bureau said.

As of December 2003, there were 361 metro areas encompassing 1,090 counties (or equivalent entities) and 573 micro areas encompassing 690 counties or equivalents in the US.